By Tyler Barth
Dozens of law enforcement officers, Marines, firefighters and EMTs gathered under a beautiful blue sky on Saturday to dedicate the Capt. Brian J. McNally Field in Morris Township.
McNally, a State Trooper and Marine Corps veteran, grew up just down the road. He died in 2018 at age 30.
“It is my hope that when the young kids of Morris Township and beyond come to this field, they understand what the definition of service is,” said Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.
“It’s easy to see he led a life that actively reflected his strongly held values: Service to others, love of country, honor, duty and fidelity,” said New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy.
“By dedicating this field, we honor his memory and ensure that his legacy will continue to impact others for decades to come,” she said.
Video playlist by Jeff Sovelove for MorristownGreen.com. Click icon, top right, to scroll through clips:
The field, on Weathervane Drive in Freelan Green Park, is where McNally cut his teeth playing Little League baseball. He also swam and served as a lifeguard for the Cromwell Park Pool across the road.
Slideshow photos by Jeff Sovelove. Click/ hover for captions:
The 2006 Morristown High School graduate served as a volunteer firefighter, EMT, Habitat for Humanity volunteer, and member of the Morris Minute Men.
In 2010, McNally graduated from The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., as a 2nd lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He served four years in the Marines, including a tour in Afghanistan, and soon after, graduated from the New Jersey Police Academy.
McNally passed away on May 20, 2018, in a car accident while returning from weekend Reserves duty in Pennsylvania. He is survived by his parents and a sister.
“The greatest thing we can do, the greatest gift we can give to a hero, and I don’t use those words lightly,” said state Sen. Anthony M Bucco (R-25th Dist.), “is to say their name and remember their story. And with the dedication of this park today, we’ll do just that.”
“We all know Brian served his community with honor, dignity, compassion and most importantly, integrity. That’s how most of us here today remember Brian,” Jordan Kaputkin, a friend of McNally’s, said of the 6-foot-7 giant.
Deputy Mayor Mark Gyorfy emceed the ceremony, which lasted a little more than an hour.
“By dedicating our parks, fields and monuments, we as a community strive to not just honor those we are memorializing,” and Gyorfy, “but to inspire those who stand in their presence in the future.”
Morristown High School senior Bobbi Baitey sang the National Anthem, and an invocation was delivered by McNally’s pastor, Monsignor John Hart of Assumption Church in Morristown. A State Police pipe band also performed.
Other speakers included state Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-25th Dist.), and former Mayor Kathleen Ginty Hyland.
There were no plans for the McNally family to speak. But when State Police Chaplain Michael Drury could not attend, McNally’s father, Kevin McNally, read remarks prepared by Drury.
“This is a story of a young man who looked to the future with optimism and hope. This story is not a fairy tale. It is real. This is the story of Brian,” he read.
